No harm in engaging but don't pin hopes on West, Iran’s Khamenei tells new government

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Tuesday that while there is no harm in engaging with the West, it is important not to "pin hopes" on them.

He made these remarks during his first meeting with the newly formed government Cabinet led by President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran.

Khamenei stressed that the new government must not "rely" on the country's "enemies" or "wait" for their "approval," signaling that any future negotiations will be firmly rooted in Iran's national interests.

"This does not mean that we cannot engage with the enemy in certain situations. There is no harm in that, but do not place your hopes in them. Do not trust the enemy," Khamenei remarked, according to his official website.

His comments came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the Israeli war in Gaza and related developments, including the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this month.

Iran has vowed to avenge Haniyeh's death with a retaliatory military operation but has not specified the nature or precise timing of the response.

Pezeshkian, a former reformist lawmaker who was elected president last month, had promised during his campaign to reopen channels of communication with the West in order to ease sanctions.

The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, reached during the tenure of then President Hassan Rouhani, has effectively been shelved due to ongoing differences between Tehran and Washington.

In additional remarks on Tuesday, Khamenei advised the new president and his Cabinet "not to be afraid of obstacles," noting that no program or endeavor is without challenges.